Dharma Gupta of Vidarbha

Dharma Gupta was the son of Pratharatha, king of Vidarbha. His account is the second example of the Pradosha Māhātmya (the greatness of worship at Pradosha) in the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa. It tells how a prince born in a forest, raised by a brahmin widow, won back his father’s kingdom.

The fall of Pratharatha

Pratharatha was the king of Vidarbha, a realm of great importance. Enemies defeated him in battle and killed him. His queen was with child and alone. She fled the capital to escape capture. She reached a forest and gave birth to a son there, in the wild, with no palace and no midwife.

Soon after the birth, a crocodile swallowed the queen in the forest. The baby lay alone in the forest until he was found.

The brahmin widow Umā

A brahmin widow named Umā found the baby in the forest. Moved by compassion, she took him in and raised him as her own son. The child grew up in Umā’s house without knowing he was born of kings. His home was the plain home of a brahmin widow.

Śāṇḍilya names the child

The great ṛshi Śāṇḍilya came to the place where Dharma Gupta lived. With his divine sight he knew the child was of kshatriya royal line. He was the son of the slain Pratharatha and the rightful heir of Vidarbha.

The ṛshi also explained how Dharma Gupta had come to this birth. In an earlier life, Pradosha pūjā (worship) had been done with devotion. The fruit of that worship protected and guided him through the violent breaking of his royal line.

Aṃśumatī, the gandharva princess

When Dharma Gupta grew up, Bhagavān Śiva arranged his meeting with Aṃśumatī. She was the daughter of the Draviḍa gandharva. The gandharvas are the celestial musicians, beings who live in the realms between earth and svarga (heaven). Aṃśumatī was beautiful and gifted. A deep bond grew between her and Dharma Gupta.

Bhagavān Śiva himself told the Draviḍa gandharva to give his daughter Aṃśumatī in marriage to Dharma Gupta. This showed that the marriage was part of the divine plan to restore the line of Vidarbha. The gandharva followed Śiva’s word and gave his daughter to Dharma Gupta.

Vidarbha won back

Dharma Gupta had the grace of Bhagavān Śiva, the help of Aṃśumatī, and the fruit of Pradosha from an earlier life. With these he defeated the enemies who had overthrown his father Pratharatha. He took back the kingdom of Vidarbha, was crowned king, and ruled it with righteousness.

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa, Uttarārdha, Chapters 6 and 7